In wafer level vacuum packaging for microbolometers, a getter is used within the vacuum cavity to maintain low vacuum levels. The getter is currently placed in non-imaging areas of the focal plane so it does not interfere with the sensor operation. As refinements and innovative improvements are used to reduce the size of the overall focal plane array, the non-imaging area typically used for thin film getters become inadequate to maintain the package vacuum over the required lifetime of the sensor. A need exists for reduced thin film getter area in very small microbolometer arrays.